


I Hate Everything About You

by Hollow Girl (HollowGirlHG)



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Anger, Depression, Destruction, F/M, Forgiveness, Hate, Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-07-14
Packaged: 2019-11-08 09:51:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17979104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollowGirlHG/pseuds/Hollow%20Girl
Summary: Alex absolutely hates Paul Lahote. With every fiber of her being, with every word she has to mutter to him in passing, she wants nothing more than for him to disappear. (This story is before his phase, Paul wasn't the nicest guy in school. See how much he changes, and see if those changes make a difference for Alex.) Paul/OCEvery chapter in this story will be less than 500 words. Jam packed, these are meant to test my ability to put as much depth into smaller amounts of words.





	1. Chapter 1 - 3

**Hello! Welcome to my story. This was originally written in a smaller chapter format, but I changed that mid way and in the desire of wanting to minimize the massive amount of chapters I put a couple in together. So that's why there are "divided chapters" through each individual chapter for a few. You'll see though by 25 we get into normal format. Thanks for the read! I appreciate every comment I get and I really do take criticism well. Enjoy, let me know what you think.**

* * *

\- Chapter One –

Alex pulled her books from her locker, rolling her eyes at Mary who was chattering on about Jared Cameron and how gorgeous he was. The short little redhead didn’t seem to notice the vacant look on her friends face as she repeated the same shit she had said days before. Alex would never understand her obsession with the boy.

Alex closed her locker and repositioned the stack of books in her arms, getting ready to reply to one of Mary’s question’s. With sudden force though, all of her books were thrown from her arms and her attention was diverted. Her own shoulder hit the lockers, the laughter around her coming from a boy she would rather see dead.

“Watch where you’re going chunk,” Paul Lahote sneered as he made eye contact with her and continued on. He had purposely shoved her shoulder, knocking all of her books loose from her hold and throwing them all over the floor along with her papers that had been tucked in them. Paul was evil, Paul was everything bad you could think of. The skin on his knuckles never healed because of the fights he got into, his school file was always on the principles desk just in case, and his personality was volatile to say the least.  

He didn’t leave her time to respond so she quickly flicked him off before stooping down to gather her things, the laughter of himself and his friends still heard over the other students in the hall.

“I never understood why they called you that.” Mary tried to make light of the situation, gathering up as much of Alex’s homework as she could so it didn’t get trampled on by the people passing by. Alex only rolled her eyes, giving her friend a small smile as a thank you.

They called her that because Tyler Dodson had smacked her ass when they were in middle school and it had jiggled. The young mind of a boy correlated that to her being fat and here she was, 3 years later, with a horrible nickname that had stuck since she was 13.

Paul Lahote hadn’t been around when it happened, but he had heard all about it. He didn’t hesitate making fun of her when Tyler had been tormenting her out on the playground.

Mortal enemies had been born almost instantly, and Alex quickly found herself on the receiving end of a lot of Paul’s jokes. Not that it mattered, she just ignored him. He picked, he poked, he insulted, but most of the time she just let it roll of her shoulders without a care in the world. She figured that upset him the most, seeing how much he didn’t affect her.

* * *

**\- Chapter Two –**

“For your last project of the year, I’m going to pair you up with a partner.” The class groaned, Mr. Sander’s ignoring them as he stepped around his desk. Leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest, he smiled before continuing on. “This project will be roughly 40% of your grade, so you’re not going to want to mess this up. Listen carefully for your names, shift seats when I’ve paired you up.”

Alex paid him no attention, still stuck in her own world as she doodled along the edges of her notes. This was the last class of the day, and then she could finally go home, enjoy her weekend of silence, and maybe, just maybe, get some proper sleep.

“Heather and Ryan.”

The girl in front of her giggled at the mention of her name, her body leaving the seat rather quickly as she headed across the room to where Ryan sat. He was on the football team, and a friend of Paul’s. Not as muscular as the others, he was still good looking, so he had been put to the top of the food chain.                  

“Karla and Dean.”

That brought a smile to Alex’s face. Karla, still tangled up in Paul’s arms, her lips locked on his, let out a strange hissing-groan noise as she looked across the room where Dean sat, pale and confused. The latter, president of the debate team and a shoo-in for Valedictorian, seemed to tremble as the she devil locked eyes on him. None-the-less the blonde got up and walked over to him, taking a seat beside him, puppy dog eyes glancing back at Paul.

Alex found herself rolling her own eyes, returning to the doodle on her notes.

“Alex and Paul.”

Her stomach dropped. Not looking up, she let out a rather loud groan of upset, a blush taking over her cheeks as a couple of the students laughed at her. She didn’t need to look to know Paul was already up and moving towards her, his body dropping into the seat in front of her just moments later. He grinned from ear to ear, an evil glint in his eyes, his back to the teacher as he watched her.

She wanted to run away then and there, and never come back.

“What you drawing, _chunk_?”

She refused to acknowledge the nickname, slamming her notebook with haste and glaring up at him. He didn’t take offense, just laughed and turned his back to her, waiting for the rest of the names to be called out. It had been a good day too, her lunch hour spent out back reading a book, her gym class canceled. But now this? She would demand a change in partner as soon as the bell rang.

* * *

**\- Chapter Three –**

“I’m sorry Alex, but I can’t change it. No matter how much you beg.”

She wanted to kicked Mr. Sanders in the face, but she figured that wasn’t allowed. She heard the chuckle from behind her, already knowing who it was. He had stayed behind to watch her in pain, she was sure of it. Giving Mr. Sander’s a small nod, and rolling her eyes, Alex turned around to glare at the grinning face of Paul Lahote.

“Why are you still here?”

Paul chuckled, picking up his bag off the ground and getting up. He sauntered over to her, yes sauntered, and she couldn’t help but groan at the cliché that he was.

“We’re going to have to spend time together chunk, the least you could do is be nice.”

She was sure Paul saw the anger in her eyes, his own growing dark as he stopped just a foot away from her. She could smell him, the cologne he put on, something she figured Karla had picked out for him. It was strong, musty, and it stung her nose. The she-leach had to be in the hall waiting for him, ready to suck his face off or whatever it was they did after school.

Mr. Sander’s was just behind her listening to their interaction, so she couldn’t say what she wanted to. Stopping herself from offering to do the entire project so she didn’t have to see his face, Alex pulled her phone out. It physically hurt her to ask this, but she got the words out.

“Number Lahote.”

If their teacher wasn’t in the room, she was sure he would have said something horribly inappropriate. Instead he gave her the numbers quick, pulling his own phone out and saving her number under “chuck” as soon as she texted him.

“I wish you wouldn’t call me that.”

He only shrugged in reply, walking around her, brushing his shoulder against hers. She wanted to scrub where he had touched her immediately, her hands shaking with anger. She could hear his laughter as he headed out into the hall, leaving her alone. She could already see her future, the last semester she had of the year ruined by this dickhead and his personality.

“I put you two together because you have the best grades in the class.” Mr. Sander’s broke the silence. Alex turned around the face him, her scowl slowly falling off her face. She couldn’t be mad at him, after all, he was the man who offered to write her college recommendation letters without her having to ask. “You’ll make it work. I want this project to shine Alex. It’ll look good on your future applications.”

She nodded, understanding where he was coming from. If she were to get out of here in the future, she’d have to make this work.


	2. Chapter 4 - 6

\- Chapter Four –

_Fide’s, 3PM._

Alex stood across the street, a block down the way, out of sight. She could see the other teenagers heading in through the door, shielding themselves from the soft rain that decided to fall from the sky all weekend. The local diner wasn’t much, but it was one of the only things La Push had for the youth to hang out at, so it was always busy.

Of course this is where he would want to meet. On a Saturday no less. She had spent the morning forgetting about him, nose deep in a book, and then her phone had buzzed.

She had wanted to text him back to fuck off, but Mr. Sander’s voice floated into her ear and she got her ass out of bed and into town.

Crossing the street, Alex hugged her coat closer to her body as she made her way into Fide’s. She spotted him almost instantly, a large group of people all around him. Karla was hanging off his side, her arms wrapped around his chest, eyes staring up at him with a grin on her face. His male friends were all around him too.

She didn’t want to do this, spotting Tyler almost instantly as she walked over to them. He spotted her too, turning in his chair and screaming out chunk as she stood before the table, face turning red. The boys laughed, Paul looking up for a moment, returning his eyes back to Karla almost instantly.

He ignored her, talking about something in hushed tones with his girl as Alex stared him down. After what felt like minutes he finally looked up, an eyebrow raised in question.

“The project?” It didn’t seem to click though, his face still confused. The text message burned a hole in her pocket, and Alex squirmed, hearing the murmurs of the people around Paul. Her nickname was being passed around a few times and she felt her body begin to shake. She regretted this almost instantly, her eyes returning to Paul’s after her little exploration. If he saw the upset in her stare she didn’t care. She shook her head, turning quickly and heading back out into the rainy day of the weekend.

The bitter laughter of the group followed her though, and she couldn’t help the fresh tears that stained her cheeks as she hurried home. She had known better, but part of her couldn’t help giving everyone the benefit of the doubt.

* * *

\- Chapter Five –

She slid her pointer finger across one of the spines of Whitman’s poem books, letting out a happy sigh at the memories curled up in the corner of the library it created. It was an exceptionally rainy day, and everyone else in town seemed to have tucked themselves back into their houses to wait it out.

Alex picked a title and headed towards the seating area, just on the other side of the large conference table that ran down the center of the room. She recognized the back of his head before she realized who he was. His dark brown hair next to his russet skin, she froze as she spotted Paul Lahote nose deep in a book, taking notes, seated at the table all alone.

It had been a full week. She ignored him at school, not as though it was complicated, he didn’t even look at her. Everyone else in class had spent the weekend creating a project idea, submitting them for approval. She shied away from the disapproving looking of Mr. Sander’s on the way out of the classroom.

As she stared at the back of his head, she felt her anger returning to her. She had cried the rest of her weekend away, but the tears didn’t last for long and behind them was a very irritated scorned girl. She briskly walked forward and dropped her book on the table beside him, startling him. He narrowed his eyes on her wrists, trailing up her arms to her face. She was met with a glare and she felt herself cringe, but she refused to back down.

“We need to complete our project and I’m not going to fail because you don’t know how to do your own homework.” She return his glare, trying to hide the trembles in her hands from her anxiety. “I’ll just do it myself; you can sign off and read some scripted parts for the presentation. I’m sure you know how to do that?”

She hadn’t expected the range of emotions in his eyes. Which was crazy, as she had read about flashes of anger and rage, mixed with regret and sadness, but she had never thought it was something you could actually see. In his brown eyes though she was sure she saw red, anger that seemed to roll off him as he stood up and towered over her almost instantly. He was close, too close, she could feel the tension rolling off of him.

“How about you fuck off Chunk.” His sneer came back to his face as he continued to stare her down. “I’m not in the fucking mood and I could care less about your fucking opinion. And to clarify, I do all my own fucking homework, thank you.”

He was gone before she had fully registered his words, leaving a pit in the middle of her stomach where her confidence once sat.

* * *

\- Chapter Six –

She hadn't intended on slamming the front door, her sigh like a lift of weight from her shoulders. Her confidence had slithered back into her between home and the library, the rain helping to clear her head of the depressing thoughts. Paul's very angry eyes were still in her recent memory though, and she knew she would personally need to apologize for her words. Not that he would care if she did or didn't, she suspected he might even make fun of her for the apology.

Dropping her bag into the entrance way, Alex slipped her coat off and put it on its designated hook. Kicking her shoes off she followed the hallway into the kitchen, seeing the back of her mom as the woman dunked her hands into the kitchen sink. She glanced over her shoulder; beautiful brown curls lit up by the light above her. The rainy dreary day outside couldn't mute her smile as she said hello to her daughter.

"It's a nasty day mom." Alex sighed, grabbing the drying cloth off the handle next to the sink. Stepping up beside her mom she rinsed off the clean dishes that had piled up in the second sink. Moving them to the drying rack, she whipped them down, putting them away one by one. "Mom."

"Yes Alex?"

"Have you ever insulted someone on accident?"

"Hmm... yes. That's your grandfather's blood though, genetic fire." Laughing at her own joke, she finished up the dishes, whipping her hands off before leaning into the elbow of the counter to watch her daughter. "Who'd you insult?"

"Someone horrible."

"Well that makes it better."

Alex rolled her eyes, putting the last plate away before tossing the towel onto the counter. "Paul Lahote, do you know him?"

"I know his dad. If he's anything like him he probably deserved your meanness." Alex furrowed her eyebrows, looking at her mom confused. "I won't go into details, but his dad's not the nicest man alive. Hasn't been since the divorce, wasn't that great growing up with either."

Alex only nodded, taking the new piece of information and storing it away in her head for the future. She excused herself quickly, heading upstairs to sink into her office chair and boot up her computer. An hour later she had a list of project ideas, some of them bad, only a small handful of them one's she wanted to do. She planned then to bring the list to school Monday, show Paul, and let him pick the theme they went with.

Content, she stood and stretched, heading back downstairs to see if she could help with dinner. It was quiet, the TV that normally played while her mom cooked was off. Stepping into the kitchen, not seeing her mom, Alex followed her line of vision into the living room.

Her mother was there, on the floor, face down. The scream echoed in her ears as she dropped.


	3. Chapter 7 - 9

\- Chapter Seven –

She wiped the tears from her cheeks, the air stuck in her lungs. Her mouth was open, and she thought maybe she looked like a fish outside of water. She gasped for air, the study patter of the hospital all around her.

She was shaking.

The shuffling of feet beside her as the voices blurred together did not go unnoticed. The doctor was a tall blonde guy, she had been crying too hard to know anything else. He had a soothing voice but her chest hurt too much to think about that.

She thought maybe if she stood up, from the bench she had taken as her own just outside the emergency room, that she would collapse. Her insides would shrivel into nothing. Her heart was on fire, she knew any moment now she would blow up.

“Alex.” Her father’s voice was stern, a break from the chaos. She quickly looked up from her trembling hands to his face, watching as grief and sorrow laid a shadow over his features. He opened his arms just slightly and she barreled into him, letting herself seek refuge like a child in the arms of her protector.

He guided her back to the bench and took a seat with her, trying to push the hair from her face as he simultaneously wiped the tears from her eyelashes. She couldn’t look him in the eyes when she knew she would see everything that was real around them.

“She’ll be ok, it’ll be ok.” His mantra went on for what felt like hours as they sat there on the bench with one another, trying to remain positive as they waited.

* * *

\- Chapter Eight –

It had been four days. Alex’s father had forced her to shower. She had refused with every fiber of her being, but it wasn’t enough. He had made her get ready, told her that as soon as mom woke up, he’d give her a call, and then shoved her out the door in front of the high school, wishing her a good day.

He had told her to act as though life was normal; it’s what she would want. She hated the thought; her mother trapped in a seizure induced coma in the hospital while her family kept moving around her as though it was normal. Nothing about it was fucking normal.

Her classmates stared as she headed inside, keeping her head down as she passed through the students to get to her locker. She’d entertain her father for now, but tomorrow she would refuse to go.

Alex had been too deep in thought to notice, her shoulder slamming with another body, her things as well as theirs going everywhere. Her apology was caught in her raw cried out throat and she quickly gathered her things, looking up at the face of the person she had bumped into.

“Watch it Chunk.” Paul sneered, his eyes staying on her as he stooped down and grabbed his bag he had dropped. A few books had tumbled out but he quickly tucked them away.

“Don’t call me that,” Alex bit out angrily, narrowing her eyes at him. She could feel the change in the air around them from the tension, and everyone else seemed to notice it too. Paul narrowed his own stare onto her as students slowed and watched.

“Where you been this week?” He cracked his shit-eating-grin, eyes bouncing from her to his audience. “Crying in your room because I yelled at you last weekend? Really Chunk, you need to move past this. Grow a backbone.”

“Go fuck yourself Lahote.” She wished he would just explode. He wasn’t the cause of her bad day, he wasn’t important to how she was feeling, but he stepped into her path on purpose and she wanted him to feel pain for all the shit he had said.

“Excuse me?” He stepped closer to her and she found herself reacting almost instantly. Her hand went across his face with force, the sting making her yell out as he was jarred from his perfect demeanor. He held his cheek, staring at her now with such force. The world seemed to quail around them and she was ready to meet him head on.

Just as he stepped forward to no doubt hit her back, a body stepped between them, Mr. Sander’s taking Alex’s arm and pulling her away from Paul quickly. He said something, her feet tripping over themselves as she tried to look through the student body that had stopped to stare. But she couldn’t see him.

* * *

\- Chapter Nine –

“She struck another student; I can’t have that behavior on school property.” The principal looked from the solemn face of her father to Alex, making sure his point was being conveyed.

“It won’t happen again, I assure you.” Alex’s father spoke for the both of them, extending his hand to shake as he rose to get up. Alex waited as they said their goodbyes, keeping her eyes on the ground as they headed out into the main entrance. Her father didn’t speak as they got into the car, the silence soaking up all the air in her lungs.

“Alexandria,” her father sighed, rubbing the pads of his fingers against his temple. “You know better.”

She couldn’t give him a response, because it was true. She did know better, but whatever Paul Lahote was, it pissed her off beyond her own self-control. She couldn’t look past him and let it go, he irritated her so much.

“I’m taking you back to the house so you can work on your homework.” Her father’s stern voice left no room for argument, and she nodded quickly her understanding. “I’ll call you if anything with mom changes.”

She found herself trembling on the car ride home. Tears holding on for dear life so they wouldn’t fall. Alex wanted to keep her composure for what it was worth. She fidgeted, glancing over at her dad from time to time, noticing the pale glow his skin had taken on, the beard that was slowly growing back from missing a couple of days of shaving. He was in jeans and a t-shirt, and she found herself wondering what excuse he had given his boss to be off work this much.

Not that “dying wife” wasn’t enough.

Alex choked on her thoughts, pleading with her brain to shut off as they finally pulled into the long gravel driveway that led back into the woods.

“You got your keys?” She only nodded, pulling them from her pocket. Pushing open the door, Alex got out and looked back at her father, who had leaned over the center console to see her better. “Also, when I get back you better have an apology written for that kid you hit. You’re going over there and reading it to him.”

Her reflex to slam the door wasn’t scolded, her dad in his own little world as he backed out and used the front yard to turn around. She didn’t stay to watch him drive off, her fingers fumbling with the keys as she whipped fresh tears that fell from her eyes.


	4. Chapter 10 -12

\- Chapter Ten –

_Dear Paul,_

_You’re an egotistical pigheaded asshole who terrorizes me almost every day of my life, but apparently, I’m not allowed to be mean back to you. So here’s the bullshit apologize my father made me write._

_Sincerely not yours,_

_Alex_

_\----_

_Paul,_

_I apologize for hitting you. Although you deserved it. So… you know, not actually sorry._

_Alex_

_\----_

_Dear Paul,_

_This is the formal apologize from me Alex. It was beneath me to hit you, as you’re beneath me. I should never result to violence, but you tend to make me so angry I can’t see straight. So, although you’re a pigheaded butt-face, I have to apologize. Because it’s right. And Because my father told me too. Feel free to make fun of me about this too, not that you need my permission. My breathing seems to be enough as is._

_Alex_

_\----_

_Dear Paul,_

_I’m sorry I hit you in your stupid face. I hope someone still finds you attractive enough to entertain the idea of being with you._

_Alex_

_\----_

_Dear Paul,_

_My mom is dying, and I hit you because I don’t know how to feel this helpless. You pick and you prod, and you make me so mad. Sometimes I can’t handle it, and I hit you because it always seems like you have no sense of whats right and whats wrong. Not that you care, but you hurt my feelings, and I wanted you to know what that felt like._

_Cheesiness aside, I really am sorry. I should never result to violence. It’s not the answer, and I’m deeply apologetic for it._

_Alex_

_\----_

_Dear Paul,_

_I’m sorry I hit you. Won’t happen again._

_Alex_

* * *

\- Chapter Eleven –

The note in her hand had been folded and unfolded so many times the creases were tearing. Shuffling from foot to foot, Alex looked over her shoulder through the rain. Her father had called ahead of time to talk to Paul’s mom, making sure he got a check in on when his daughter arrived. The ran had started to come down heavily when she was halfway here, so she sprinted the rest of the way down the lane and finally through the woods where the Lahote house sat back in the trees.

Mustering up the stomach to finally do it, and get it over with, Alex rapped her knuckles against the door and put on a pleasant smile. It took a minute, but the shuffling of feet met by the unlocking of the front door led a tall slender older woman to the entrance. She shared a smile, looking Alex over with a confused glance, looking over her shoulder to the rain.

“He’s not here Alex, I’m sorry. When I spoke with your father this morning he was, but he left shortly after. Won’t you come in, get dry, I’ll call your dad.”

Her stomached dropped because she didn’t want to have to do this again. Shaking her head, she declined the invite, backtracking off the porch and back into the rain. She ignored the shouts of Paul’s mom, letting her feet carry her back into the woods at a steady pace as she fiddled with the note that would need to be rewritten by the time she got home.

Another week had passed, another week with no change, with no results. Her father wouldn’t let her come to the hospital anymore. He claimed she needed to keep going to school, keep her grades up, but she knew better. He was deteriorating before her; his beard had grown out, they hadn’t gone grocery shopping the entire time, and the coffee that stained his shirt from Wednesday was still there Friday.

The rain fell down hard on her as she shook from the wet and cold. Her eyes were clouded with her own tears let alone the storm, and her shaking hands couldn’t keep the water from her eyes. Paul’s house was only a ten-minute walk from hers, but she found herself still in the woods with the ten minutes passed. Her feet had carried her somewhere she hadn’t expected, a clearing before her. The sun was tucked just behind the clouds, as she allowed herself to sink to the forest floor in the clearing, flowers around her.

She curled up into the a ball and cried, Paul’s apology note left in the grass to fall apart.

* * *

\- Chapter Twelve –

“Here.” Paul Lahote dropped something down on her desk, his voice rough. Glancing up at the thing he put down, Alex furrowed her brows at her own cell phone. Grabbing it and trying to turn it on, she glanced up to ask Paul where he had found it, but his back was already to her as he headed out the classroom door.

Mr. Sander’s called out to him but he ignored it, the door closing slowly behind him.

Her attention returned to her phone, the battery dead. It had a few scratches on the screen, some dirt in the seam around the edge. She figured she had dropped it in the woods on her way home a week ago, never to see it again. Her father had scolded her for not having her phone on her when he came into her bedroom at 2 am that morning. She tried to explain but he didn’t let her get a word in edge wise, his attention too lost to notice the wet clothes of his daughter who was curled up in her bed.

She was getting over the cold finally. In her time of being sick, her mind always reflecting on that day of tears amongst the trees, she hadn’t seen Paul once to give him his apology. Every word on the rain-soaked sheet had been washed away, so she tasked herself with rewriting it the next day. The words didn’t want to work anymore, they were lost. She ever tried to rewrite the original ones but they felt forced, her mind long past the apology state.

Her mother was getting worse. Her heart remained steady, but everything else was failing. Her father stopped updating her two days ago. He stopped going to work completely, he stopped coming home. She saw him when she visited in the hospital. The last two nights had been tense, his cold shoulder not meant to hurt her, she knew that. But he didn’t know how to process the pain he was feeling, so Alex sat up shop and did her homework as her father sat and watched his wife deteriorate.

She had submitted a project idea to Mr. Sander’s, forging Paul’s signature at the bottom. She had seen the question in Mr. Sander’s eyes, as though he knew she had faked the young boy’s signature, but he didn’t say a thing. He only looked at her with sadness in his eyes as he approved it, and she turned away from him quickly, not wanting to see his pity.


	5. Chapter 13 - 15

\- Chapter Thirteen –

Alex tossed her text book across the room cursing as the pages flew through the air before slamming against the wall and collapsing to the floor. They didn’t say much of anything, but all of the knowledge trapped inside the pages was teasing her. She couldn’t get a second of the last hour to sink into her brain.

Groaning as she sank onto her mattress, Alex let her hair fall around her face. She watched the strange colored strands fall around her, the colors changing in the light. Her hair was her mother’s hair; unruly and crazy. She never complained about it though, as her mom would always show her ways to braid it, to get it out of her face.

Turning abruptly so all of the strands were out of view, she stared up at the ceiling for a moment before sitting up. She’d gather the courage to look at the book again, as long as it wasn’t broken. As soon as she stood three brisk and loud knocks sounded from downstairs. Her heart skipped in her chest as she glanced over at the alarm clock next to her bed. It was nearing 10 PM on a Saturday, who would be knocking?

Running fingers through her hair, Alex moved it away from her face as she moved towards her bedroom window, which gave her the perfect view of the outside. Standing just on her door step, shrouded in darkness, save for the small light that hung beside the door, was Paul Lahote.

She’d be lying if she said her heart wasn’t beating a mile a minute. Backing away from the window quickly, Alex headed out the room, and down the stairs, making her way to the front door. Her father was still at the hospital, not that he would be coming back tonight period. She had debated spending the time there with him but the smell was worse of a distraction and she needed to concentrate on her homework if she aimed to complete it.

Opening her front door she stared up at Paul Lahote who looked sharply at the siding of her house, his jaw tight.

“I came here to apologize about the project we have do. I haven’t been helping, and I don’t have a good excuse.” He shifted his weight, crossing his arms over his chest, eyes shifting to the ground by her feet. She wanted to reach out and tilt his chin up, but she didn’t. “I won’t be in school much, and before you ask it’s personal. I’ve already spoke with Mr. Sander’s and he agrees. I’ll be submitting my own project, separate from yours so I’m not causing you issues with your grade.”

He nodded, turned, walked away. Alex just stared, confused.

* * *

\- Chapter Fourteen –

“So you’re telling me, you gave him permission to do this project by himself, like that?” Alex threw her hands up in the air angrily, Mr. Sander’s standing on the other side of his desk with his arms crossed over his chest. He had a knowing smile on his face, one she was extremely angry about and confused about as well.

“I thought you’d be happy Alex? You get this project to yourself. Don’t have to worry about Mr. Lahote anymore.”

“That is not the point!” She huffed, rolling her eyes for emphasis. She didn’t really know why she was angry. He had a point after all. She could complete the project herself, she could get the first grade, throw herself into the work and make it just right. But the desire suddenly to be normal and make 50 percent of the work someone else’s responsibility was nagging at her.

“Alex?” Mr. Sander’s voice softened as he uncrossed his arms and sighed. “If this is about your mom, I understand. I can give you some more time if you’d like. You can always –“

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” She had to leave the room before he kept going. She couldn’t look at him with that pity in his eyes. La Push was small, everyone knew everything, and although her mother was dying in Forks, word traveled easily enough. She was sure Mr. Sander’s knew her mom’s heart had stopped the other day, she was sure he knew she was on a oxygen provider, unable to use her lungs alone anymore. She was sure he knew her father was dying too, curled up in the chair next to his dead wife. The tears streamed down her face all too quickly as she shoved her way out of the school, taking off into the woods that surrounded the area.

She needed to breathe, she needed to feel the air all around her. Her feet carried her into the forest as she ran around the fallen logs and stumps like a pro. As she focused on the trees around her, trying desperately to get the images of her mother out of her mind, she heard the low growl fill the space between the trees.

She froze. The air stuttering in her lungs as she shook.

Just feet away from her was a massive dog, his side profile visible between the trees. It stood still, a low growl surfacing from deep inside its chest. Alex took a step back on instinct, hating herself instantly when she drew the attention of the animal with a snap of a limb. The world seemed to vanish as she made eye contact with the animal. A flush of fear filled her and she ran, the pounding steps of the animal behind her. 

* * *

\- Chapter Fifteen –

She knew the woods like all the other kids who lived on the reservation, their twists and turns second nature. Her feet carried her through the fallen limbs, the massive gray and white creature behind her. Logically she wasn't getting away, she wasn't surviving this. The growl was lodges in her brain as the pads of the four feet behind her made her shake and tumble to the ground.

Not even 10 feet before her end was met. A face full of leaves and dirt, Alex rolled quickly, looking up at the vast trees around her, suddenly not seeing the animal that had been bearing down on her. She could still feel the warmth, hear the growl in her ears, but it was gone. Turning frantically, unsure of her senses at the moment, she sought out the fur of the creature, the shape, the sound, anything to prove she wasn't going insane.

Wolf's did not get that big.

Her heart rammed against the bones of her ribcage; the air hard in her lungs. Her throat was raw from the frantic breathing as she continued to hyperventilate. It wasn't there though, no sight of it, no sound of it. She felt a wave of exhaustion and stupidity wash over her as she shook, trying to rise to her feet. She could clearly see the eyes of the creature in her mind, branded in her brain for the rest of her life, and she was almost sure now it had been a hallucination.

"Who are you?"

The voice of the stranger startled her. The tree beside her caught her fall as she stumbled back and whirled around to look at the tawny man in front of her, 20 feet away. He was sizable, massive muscles on his bare chest and arms, eyes narrowed in on her, dark hair. She almost didn't recognize the angles of Sam Uley's face, but recognition took over. Her mother had been good friends with Sam's mom back in the day, both of them trying to force friendship on their kids. But Sam was a boy and Alex was a recluse.

"Alex."

"Wallace?" Sam crossed his arms, taking a few steps towards her, zigging in and out of the trees. She nodded, glancing down at his bare feet, confusion on her face. "Why aren't you in school?"

"I could ask you the same?" She raised a brow at him, challenging his stare now. Had he been there the entire time, watching her freak out over something that hadn't been there? Her sanity levels were slipping and she didn't need an audience. "Go away Uley."

"Hey, I was minding mine, then you came running through, screaming for no reason."

She couldn't help herself, her mind finger saluting him as she turned on her heels quickly to head back to school. The shame and embarrassment was sitting on her shoulder but she wouldn't let it take a ride for much longer.


	6. Chapter 16 - 19

\- Chapter Sixteen –

"So are you going to the bonfire tonight?" Mary tucked her legs in under her as she sat in the middle of Alex's bed, watching her friend sort through her clothes. It was a strangely nice day in La Push, the sun barely touching the tops of the trees. If you were lucky you could get a tan, in a clearing only of course.

Alex shrugged, unsure on if she wanted to go. A month ago she would have jumped at the idea. The coast, a bonfire, free food, all the people she loved, the stories and legends. There was nothing like a La Push fire, the Quileute tribe always sticking to heritage and the beauty of sharing space with nature. But her mother couldn't join her, so she felt as though she shouldn't be having fun.

"I didn't ask my dad." She grabbed a tank top, shuffling out of her t-shirt to pull that on. It wasn't entirely warm enough but she wanted to wear it. It had been a gift from her dad two years ago, as he had gone shopping without the average climate of their home in mind.

"Please Alex, he wouldn't mind." Mary sighed, a moment of silence passing between them as Alex grabbed a jean skirt from one of her drawers. "Your mom would want you to go. You know how much she loved seeing everyone."

"Loves." Alex quickly corrected her, shimming out of her sweat pants and then into the skirt. Everyone else was coming to terms with it, but Alex wanted to hold on. She knew it was only going to hurt her in the end, but she couldn't bring herself to face the truth. She looked herself over in the mirror before taking a seat beside Mary on the bed, looking her best friend in the eyes. "I'm sorry Mary, I know. I've been... difficult."

"Dude, you don't need to apologize. I understand, trust me." Mary smiled, reaching forward to wrap her arms around her friend. They shared a hug before falling back into the mattress with smiles on their faces. It had been a long time, all the stress of everything going on too much for Alex to even think about being around other people. Between school, taking care of her dad, and trying to part with her mom, the stress was growing larger each day. "Besides, it's purely selfish reasons I ask. Jared asked me to meet him there and I need you to go so I don't make a complete fool of myself."

Alex laughed for the first time in a long time. She nodded her head, giving her friend the reassurance she needed. They spent the rest of the afternoon rifling through Alex's clothes, spending time together they hadn't had in the last couple of weeks. Alex felt a weight pull from her shoulders for a moment, as she held up her shirts against Mary, trying to figure out the best way to dress her. She felt normal again, if only for a moment.

* * *

\- Chapter Seventeen –

“Alex!” Embry Call screamed across the vast beach, barreling towards her as though his life depended on it. She tried to scurry away from his massive form but it didn’t work, his arms wrapping around her too quickly. He lifted her up, twirling her around as he laughed as she squealed. The faces around them only looked over for a moment and smiled before returning to whatever it was they were occupied with.

“Put me down this instant Embry Call.” She slapped him on his back, trying to get him to put her down, but it didn’t faze him. The warmth radiating off his skin was unreal, her body flush almost instantly when her feet finally touched the sand. She could feel the red blush burning her cheeks as she stepped away from his hold, almost sure her skin was burnt from where he had touched her. “Jesus Christ Embry. You beefed out.”

He only chuckled, shrugging. The boy that had been her size not mere months ago was now double almost. He was packing on muscle she wasn’t too sure he got naturally. She spotted the tattoo on his arm but she didn’t question it, his grin enough to show her he was happy.

Mary was standing off to the side watching, her eyes darting from her friends to Jared, who was standing over by the fire. He, unlike the majority of the young boys there, had a shirt on, but he too looked different. Alex furrowed her brows confused; almost sure she would have noticed these drastic changes in the people around her at school.

“Has he always been that muscular?” Alex questioned Mary, Embry’s eyes following the girls stare. He waved like an oversized child at his friend, grinning from ear to ear. “Are you guys sharing steroids?”

“Alex, will you let it go? We started working out, what more do you want? Can’t a man look good?” Embry flexed and she rolled her eyes, smacking his bicep with disdain. He only chuckled, waving Jared over. Mary instantly grabbed Alex’s hand, gripping it tightly as she watched her crush say goodbye to the person he was talking to before making his way towards them.

“I’m not ready,” she murmured, Embry chuckling, Alex rolling her eyes.

“It’s too late for that Mary, he’s nearly here.”

“Mary.” Jared smiled, looking only at the girl in question as he approached them. Alex waved but it was ignored. She almost spoke up but Mary slipped her hand away, and Embry grabbed her arm at the same time, steering her away from her best friend.

“Best let them get acquainted on their own yeah?”

Alex shrugged, letting Embry pull her along towards the food, Mary and Jared out of mind, out of sight.

* * *

\- Chapter Eighteen –

The flames were warm in the otherwise cold of the night. Alex sunk into the coat around her shoulders, eyes drifting in and out of focus on the fire. Mary was off with Jared, laughing about something Embry was telling them. A few of the other guys they went to school with had arrived later, but everyone was avoiding her like the plague; or maybe it was the other way around. She couldn’t tell.

The sun had sunk two hours ago, and her happiness had passed beyond the horizon with it. Shivering just slightly, Alex took a seat on one of the many logs that wrapped the fire, the warmth washing over her slightly. She envisioned, just for a split second, of what it would feel like to step inside their envelopment of warmth. To feel them burn her away from the inside and the outside, to release her soul into the night.

She scrunched up her face at her own thoughts, fidgeting with his fingers as she shook her head of the darkness. It did her no good to dwell, but the warmth, and the voices, and the smell all reminded her of her mother. She’d be talking with Billy, maybe Harry, chatting up Sue to see what all the gossip was about. They’d exchange recipes, maybe talk about books they had read recently. Her mother wouldn’t do that anymore though, the hospital her new home.

“Alex, you ok?” Mary’s soft voice filled her ears and pushed the thoughts away, her head automatically nodding her reply as she smiled up at her friend who took a seat beside her. The night air was still, surprisingly with it being so close to the coast. “I shouldn’t of made you come, I’m sorry A.”

“No, it’s fine, you didn’t make me, I wanted to.” Chuckling, the sound almost sounding like sobs were close behind, Alex beamed up at her friend before leaning her head on her shoulder and returning her eyes to the flames. “Besides, who would want to miss the drama with Leah and Sam, I mean, come on? Emily Young?”

“Right?!” Mary took the bait with no hesitation, quickly going into detail about everything she had heard about their split. Alex nodded when needed, glad to have distracted her friend from her own thoughts. She listened to her closely, laughing at the recant from Embry’s retelling of the drama. As the night continued on, she felt a little bit warmer, peaceful almost.

“I heard Leah’s been handling it well though, besides the attitude. But who would blame her right? They were going to get married for god’s sake.” Mary sighed, glancing down at Alex for a moment before wrapping an arm around her friend. “Come on, it’s time to get you home.”

* * *

\- Chapter Nineteen –

The fuzzy feeling in her head seemed to separate with each sharp stab of the shrill noise that slammed into her head. Groaning, slapping at her phone to get the alarm off, Alex peeled her eyes open to what she thought would be daylight. But the night sky was still there, the moon high in the inky darkness, and her phone was ringing away loudly on her bedside.

Quickly she grabbed it, registering it was a call from her father before she hit the talk button and put it to her ear.

_“Alex?”_

“Dad?”

_“Can you get here?”_

Her heart was already hammering away in her chest, beaconing to be let go, to fly away, to be lost forever. She could feel the ache, the dryness from her throat from when she had cried herself to sleep. The alarm clock shined bright from her bedside, _3:42 AM._

“Yeah, yeah. I can... yeah. Dad?”

_“Just get here Alex, we’ll talk when you do.”_

A few seconds passed of silence when her father hung up on her. She gathered herself quickly though, jumping from bed, still in the clothes she had warn to the bonfire. She wobbled a little, her eyes blurry from sleep. Tripping over herself on the way downstairs, Alex grabbed the keys to the only drivable device on the property, the four-wheeler in the shed.

She headed outside, gripping her coat close to her body as she gained some speed and steady feeling. Throwing the double doors open, she jumped on quickly and started it up. Her hands shook but she swallowed her tears down, revving up the engine and checking the gas before taking off down the driveway.

She could vaguely hear her father in the background on her 16th birthday telling her she didn’t need a car because she had a four-wheeler, her mother scolding him thereafter. The thought made her smile only slightly as she checked both ways before pulling out onto the main road. The still darkness of La Push was suffocating, no street lights for miles this far out. She turned on the small headlights for the four-wheeler, leaning forward slightly, willing the damn thing to go faster.

A shadow shifted to her left, making her swerve suddenly. She glanced over, steadying herself quickly so as to continue on full speed. Her imagination she supposed, her focus returning to the road in front of her quickly.

As though it were meant to be, she pulled up outside the small hospital in Forks just as the gas meter alerted her to low full. Leaving the keys in it, Alex darted up through the sliding glass doors into the light of waiting room, her father standing there, waiting.


	7. Chapter 20 - 24

\- Chapter Twenty –

The rain trickled down from the sky, wetting the earth around them. The grass under her feet was mush now, mud caking her boots around the edges. The sky was dark for 11AM, but she didn’t much care. Her father stood beside her, his own boots sunk into the mud, his hands deep in his pockets. The awning overtop them swayed slightly from the wind, but the pins holding it down did their job. It was made to keep the hole from caving in before the casket was lowered.

“Dearly beloved, we gather here today, to honor the life ...”

Alex blocked the old man out, eyes shifting from her own toes to her fathers. She could see the edge of the hole from this line of sight, but she didn’t want to look fully. Mary was on her other side, hand crushing her own as she gripped on tightly. The girl sobbed, whipping tears away with a handkerchief. Alex surveyed her for a moment, watching the drops fall from her eyes and trickle down her cheeks. Her mascara went with them, a blur under her eyes at this point.

Everyone had showed up. Billy just across the way, his son beside him, Sam Uley and Embry within the faces. Alex could make out Jared as well, even Leah had arrived. Her father was beside her and her little brother as well, all their faces dark with sorrow.

She felt numb, her unoccupied hand trembling as she stood still. She wanted to turn around though, excuse herself from this ceremony, excuse herself from this cold shit show that she didn’t want to remember. She wanted to envision the warmth her mother brought her, the strength, the light; not this cold rainy day with a hole in the ground as her new home.

She looked over at her father. He had shaved, his sad red ringed eyes staring at the coffin that held his dead wife. He felt her eyes on him, glancing over at her as well. The grim frown upon his face shifted as he gathered her hand in his suddenly. She realized suddenly that she needed that contact, his eyes although sad, full of strength she was surprised about.

“It’ll be ok. We’ll get through this.”

His mumble was lost in the rain drops around them, the pitter patter of the awning, the recanting of her mother’s life from the priest. All of it blurred together as she nodded and finally cried.

* * *

\- Chapter Twenty One –

“I can’t _believe_ you got a passing grade on a project you didn’t even do!” Mary grumbled, giving her a fake glare from her seat at the lunch table. Alex chuckled, giving her her biggest grin as she took a bite from her sandwich.

A month had passed. And although it wasn’t exactly better, she wasn’t letting it sink her into her bed for eternity either. They had a week’s worth of school left before it was summer, and Alex couldn’t be happier. The past month had been a blur of class, Mary, constant communication with her father and therapy. She had talked her life away in all aspects, her brain officially mush. But it all helped, her chest feeling only slightly lighter but rising in the right direction. Mary had insisted on being there almost every day. When Alex insisted, she leave to go hang out with Jared a week ago though, her otherwise chipper friend had frowned.

Apparently, Jared was in love. In love with a girl he didn’t even know the name of. Mary had been extremely bitter at first but quickly confessed to Alex that it was a little superficial. Seeing as he was hot and all. The constant banter from her friend unknowingly kept her sane.

“Mr. Sander’s is just in love with you, that’s what it is.”

“Mary, are you going to let this go?”

“Once you admit that you’re going to marry him and become the new Mrs. Sander’s and have four kids with the man before he dies and gives you all his money.”

Alex burst out laughing, covering her mouth quickly, as a few of the other students glanced over at them suddenly. “Mary, he’s a teacher.”

“And?”

“He doesn’t have any money.” The girls shared in a laugh together, finishing up their lunches just before the bell chimed for them to return to class. Gathering her trash and tossing it, Alex returned to the table to say bye to Mary before heading off to the counselor’s office for her twice a week meeting. The halls were scattered with kids, all of them darting into classrooms, trying to get in before the bell rang them in late. Heading into the cold front office, Mary waved to the receptionist Miss Jones before heading on back to sign in and see Mr. Robinson.

“Come on in Alex.” He beaconed her into his office quickly, closing the door behind them, and closing out the noise effectively. “Have a seat, did you have a good lunch?”

“I did, did you?”

“I ate here while Mr. Walker told me all about his cats, you tell me?” She laughed at his joke, dropping her bag and sitting with her legs crossed in the large sofa chair. “Ok, so, I think it might be good to pick up where we were last time, if that’s alright. Alex tell me where you’re at now since the death of your mother?”

* * *

\- Chapter Twenty Two –

“Explain to me again Embry, why does hanging out with you have to include the beach?” Alex furrowed her brows, looking up at her dashingly hansom friend, who, in all his beefy brawn, was giving her a wicked grin.

“Simply put, you need a tan.” He dodged her attack, laughing as he took off down the sandy ground, light on his feet. She watched him dive into the ocean line, body disappearing in the waves of water before his head popped up a ways out. He waved her on, and she rolled her eyes. Mary had to go shopping with her mom, and although she had invited Alex it felt weird.

She didn’t want to experience a mom figure so quickly, not yet. Embry showed up on her door step just seconds after the invite, and like the saving grace he seemed to be she didn’t have to tell her friend no without a good excuse.

Kicking the sand, Alex watched the big goof dive back under the water before popping up a minute later, walking up through the shallows, making his way back out.

“Come on Alex!” His voice carried over the space like his grin, and she gave him one last ditch effort of a glare before rolling her eyes and pulling her shirt up and off. The bikini she had bought ages ago had never gotten any use, so it seemed only fitting. Kicking out of her shorts, she headed out to Embry, giving him a grin as he splashed water at her from the tide.

The warm summer sun soaked into her skin and she smiled, skipping out into the tide herself, letting the cold-water lap at her ankles as her feet sank into the sand. Washington didn’t get blazing hot, not by a long shot, but with the sun and the lack of clouds on the few rare days, it was almost warm enough to sweat properly.

“Oh no.” Embry’s mutter, just behind her, where he stood with his hands full of water, as though he was preparing to dump it on her head, was very worried. Alex turned to lecture him about being a good friend, and also prepare to throw him into the ocean, but she followed his line of sight out of curiosity. Just a ways down was a boy, his body tense as he moved towards them. His steps were impactful on the ground and he looked upset. He was rather large, and Alex squinted, finally noticing the outline of what she remembered Paul Lahote looked like.

“Why are you scared of Paul?” She returned her gaze to Embry, who had slumped like a puppy dog being caught playing in the trash.

“Because I’m supposed to be working.”

“You have a job?”

“Something like that. Protect me Alex, he’s getting closer.”

She laughed, shaking her head and rolling her eyes at Embry before turning her smile to Paul.

* * *

\- Chapter Twenty Three –

He was stern, his jaw line set tight. He stared at Embry only, his shoulder’s tense. She couldn’t help exploring his body with her eyes, his muscles more defined then she remembered them. He had vanished over this past month, not going to school, not running around town. It was strange for him, as his friends had no clue where he was, their little circle one asshole short.

“Sam sent me down here to get you, come on Embry.”  Now just feet away from them, Paul still refused to look at her. As though she wasn’t there, he stared impatiently at Embry who was just behind her on the left.

“Don’t get your tail all twisted, I’m coming. I promised Alex here some fun in the sun.” Embry laid a gentle hand on her shoulder that made her almost topple over from the unsteady weight. In that moment Paul glanced over at her, his eyes meeting hers for the briefest of seconds. But it felt like years, her body suddenly trembling at the power in his eyes.

A warmth wrapped its way around her arms, an unexpected shroud from the wind that was chilling her exposed skin. She felt a sudden stir inside her, Paul’s angry eyes softening as he continued to hold her gaze. His brows, which held tightly together in the middle of his forehead unfurled, his shoulders seemed to drop. She could see a shadow in his eyes lift, his once dark black pupils now a beautiful shade of brown. Without her knowledge she took a step closer to him, but he quickly stepped back, his eyes dropping from hers.

“Come on Embry.” His anger was back as he stepped back quickly, not able to get away from her fast enough. She could feel a hole suddenly, as she wrapped her arms around her chest, watching Paul finally turn around and run up the length of the beach toward the trees.

“Aren’t you going to explain this to her!” Embry called out to his friend but he ignored him, his body disappearing into the trees. Alex watched him go, for once in her life not wanting to see Paul Lahote leave her general area. She turned quickly to Embry fixing him with a stare her mother had used on her for years.

“Explain what to me?”

But the boy only stepped back away from her, shaking his head. He knew, but he wasn’t going to explain, his eyes bouncing to the tree line, looking at something.

“I’ve got to go Alex; I’ll talk to him.” And then he was gone too, both of them leaving her confused. She gathered her clothes, heading up to her side by side, not sure exactly what had happened in the last ten minutes.

* * *

\- Chapter Twenty Four –

“It was just strange Mary, I don’t know.” Alex continued to stare into the flower pattern of her bed spread, following the designs with her finger over and over. She couldn’t explain to Mary the feelings she had felt the other day, nor the strange sorrow she felt now. It was a different loss than the one she had felt for her mom.

“Well, why don’t you just go to his house then?”

“That’s a little stalkerish, isn’t it?” She had thought of it too, but something told her no. Each time she made to leave the little demon on her shoulder would chuckle and remind her that this was Paul Lahote; thee Paul Lahote. He would laugh her off the porch before she knew what hit her.

Mary shrugged, standing up to look out Alex’s bedroom window. After a moment of silence she sighed, turning to her friend. “Are we going to be this boring for the rest of our lives?”

Alex laughed, rolling her eyes. She flopped back into the bed with a grin on her face, seconds later Mary collapsing down beside her.

“I’m afraid so.”

They spent the summer day working on a multitude of things. Alex wanted to look at college applications, paint her nails, and watch a movie. Mary wanted to go down to the beach to look at the boys. She had heard there would be cliff diving, and she wanted to watch from the coast down below.

An hour later, unwillingly, Alex found herself rooted in the sand down at the bottom of the cliff, letting the water lap up on her feet as Embry, followed by Paul, followed by Sam dove from the highest of highs into the rocky water below.

“That’s absolutely terrifying.” She hugged her arms around herself, watching their bodies disappear into the water. Mary was grinning from ear to ear, throwing her fist in the air as she whooped and hollered for them. They step out of the water a few minutes later, soaking wet. She couldn’t help but watch him, her eyes drifting to him almost instantly. His bronze skin fluid over his muscles as he reached out and pushed his hair back. He laughed at something Embry said, his relaxed behavior strange for him.

It all ended though when he suddenly _knew_ she was there. She watched the grin slip from his face and he hadn’t even looked at her yet. Her chest swelled, her hands went clammy, and she found herself for a lack of words when Sam said hello, asking her if she had been stumbling around in the woods recently.

“Alex.” Mary shoved her, startling her from her staring feast. A blush attempted to overtake her from embarrassment, but she pushed it down, giving Sam the one finger salute as she stood up. Mary staggered up beside her, whipping sand from her shorts.

She glanced over at Paul once again but he was already moving on, eyes focused on the ground, his fists balled up by his sides. His two friends watched him go, Alex unable to take her eyes off his figure as he headed towards the path in the trees that lead back up to the top of the cliff.

“What did I do?” The question left before she could stop it, her attention returning to Sam when he sighed.

“Nothing. I think he’s punishing himself.”

“And what exactly does that have to do with being rude to Alex?” Mary chimed in, Sam only shrugging as a response. They all stood in an awkward silence, Alex watching the top of the cliff, spotting Paul just a few seconds later. He stood there on the edge, watching her, at least she thought he was.

“Come on.” Mary had her hand and was pulling her along before she knew it. She didn’t like this trance, this confusion, this sudden desire to be near Paul Lahote all of the time. Not only was it confusing, but it didn’t add up. The other two watched them go, and as they climbed into Mary’s jeep Paul jumped from the cliff and crashed into the water below.


	8. Chapter 25

**To those who have been reading, all the chapters are still there, they've just been added to one another. I shortened this to make room for more. You'll also notice that this update is a LOT longer. I'm switching it up. Give me a minute to get back into the longer format for this story. I apologize if it doesn't read well.**

**Also, random note, not in a harsh context at all, but I've received some responses beforehand about how this story is cliche, and I can't help but chuckle. It's a Twilight fan fiction bro, I'm trying my best? Lol. Get ready for the cheese and cliche that's coming. ; )**

* * *

“Ok, I’m only going to be gone for the week. That’s not long.” Her father fiddled with the coat he had in his hands; eyes cast down on the suitcase he had at the entrance of the house. He had been fretting all week, reminding her minute after minute of all the things she would need to do in his absence, all the responsibilities she would have.

“Dad, it’ll be fine. Mary will be here in the middle of the week, it’s supposed to be gloomy and rainy all week, and I’m a pretty ideal daughter when it comes to boys and parties.” Alex rolled her eyes as she finished off her repeated mantra, her back leaned up against the banister of the staircase. “Plus, I’ll just call you. No worries.”

“I know, I’m just... I always worry. I know you’ll be ok.” He smiled, stepping forward and pulling her into his arms for a big hug. She laughed, sinking into the arms, giving him a tight squeeze back.

“Now,” he pulled away, giving her one last stern look, “do have fun. Stay in, and call if you need me.”

“Yeah yeah yeah.” Alex helped her father gather his bags, both of the heading outside and to his car. He loaded them up in the back seat, giving her one last massive hug and a kiss on the top of her head before finally driving off down the driveway. She watched for a moment, seeing his tail lights burn red in the morning before he turned on his turn signal and headed off to the left. Then he was gone, and she was alone, a joyous squeal spilling out of her as she ran back in the house and danced around the kitchen as she made breakfast.

The rain rolled in a couple hours after she had settled into the couch, movie up on the big screen, an entire day ahead of her of doing nothing. She had finished up the eggs and pancakes she had made for herself, and had stretched out with every blanket that could be spared in the house.

As she got up to put the second Harry Potter movie in the DVD player a knock was heard from her front door. Startled, Alex checked the clock on the wall and looked out the windows, seeing the faint outline of a male on her porch. There was no car, no vehicle in the driveway, the rain coming down now as a constantly drizzle that would for sure flood roads later. She tripped over her blankets and checked herself in the mirror before opening the door slightly to peer out on her front porch.

“Yeah?” She wasn’t happy to see him, the last encounter of the cold shoulder more than enough to make her never want to see his face again; but the minute his eyes landed on hers she felt weightless.

“Can I come in?” Paul’s voice was gravel, his hair wet and sticking to his forehead, his shirt clinging to his body. She noted that he was barefoot, her body moving and opening the door before she could question why. He stepped into her home, watching as she shut the door behind him. He examined every inch that he could see, eyes roaming over photos and furniture.

“It’s raining.” She wanted to kick herself instantly, the obvious observation something that could easily be made fun of. She felt her cheeks warming up as she shook her head and avoided eye contact. She had never felt embarrassed in front of Paul Lahote before.

“It couldn’t wait, I...” He cleared his throat, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, now watching her and only her. “I had to come see you.”

“Ok.” She stepped back a bit from him, the back of her legs hitting the couch as she watched him watching her. The rain continued to poor down outside and the trailer’s for upcoming movies played softly in the background.

“Alex, I... I’ve changed.” He screwed up his face at his stutter, looking away from her to glare at the floor. He was battling something in his head and she watched for a moment as he thought about his words. “I want to be your friend.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. She didn’t miss the look of shock on his face as she covered her mouth up, trying to keep the giggles inside. The audacity of him, wanting to be her friend. She couldn’t fathom this moment; almost sure it was a hallucination. She figured this was another thing to use against her, another way of picking at her, another way to make fun of her in the future. But his face told her otherwise, his eyes shaded over with anger.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh so hard. It’s just that... well come on Paul. You’ve never exactly been nice to me.”

He nodded, hands fiddling with the end of his very wet shirt. She remembered then that he was dripping all over the floor. Putting a finger up to ask for a moment, Alex headed upstairs to her father’s room, getting a t-shirt and a pair of sweats from one of his drawers, heading back downstairs to Paul.

“Here, the bathroom is just there, there should be a towel in there.” She handed him the clothes and he hesitated for a moment for nodding and heading down the hall, leaving a trail of water drops behind him. As soon as he closed the door Alex bolted for her phone, picking it up instantly to call Mary. She listened to it ring in her ear, watching the door impatiently, stressing fingers through her hair as she waited.

_“Hey, you’ve reached Mary, leave a message. Maybe I’ll call you back, bye!”_

Hanging up and tossing her phone, Alex groaned, heading into the kitchen quickly to get a drink of water. The loading screen for the movie had finally showed up and the music played in the background on repeat as she chugged half of a bottle of water.

“You ok?” Paul startled her once again, his wet clothes in his hands. She nodded, putting her bottle down before taking his wet things from him and heading to the utility mud room at the back of the kitchen. Tossing them in the dry and starting it up, Alex sighed, heading back into the kitchen to stare at Paul, who was currently explore the wall of photos proudly displayed. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when your mom died.”

“Why would you be?” The words tumbled out without remorse and Paul cringed, nodding. This was all strange.

“I know before I wasn’t the best to you Alex, but I’m wanting to make it better now.”

“I mean that’s all good, but why?” She leaned against the kitchen sink, arms crossed over her chest, watching him stand there, confused, frustrated, all in her father’s clothes. And although she wanted him to leave because she knew deep inside this wasn’t abnormal, the majority of her wanted him to sit down with her and watch the movie, see if he liked it too, see if he had read the books. It infuriated her.

“Can’t I just want to be your friend?” He smiled for the first time, tossing his hands up before letting them drop. Turning his back to her he headed into the living room, disappearing out of her line of sight. “Which house are you in?” He called out, Alex quickly following after him.

She watched him sink into the pillow and blanket fortress, his eyes steadfast on the TV. She walked around the sofa, glaring at Paul Lahote, confused as to what exactly he was pulling.

“Ravenclaw. What are you doing?”

“I’m watching a movie with my new friend. Is that a crime?”

“So we’re just going to bypass and ignore the way you’ve not only been treating me recently, but my entire life? Act like none of that happened.”

“No, we’re not going to be forgetting it, not for a long time.” His smile slipped away at the somber tone, his eyes lingering on hers as he grew quiet for a moment. “But I am going to make it up to you. You deserve that much.”

Alex took a seat beside him, leaving a foots distance between them. Grabbing her pillows and putting them between them, she stared at him extremely confused, irritated, and lost. She could see the joke in the moment, almost certain he had a bug in the house, that he was videotaping this, trying to wiggle out of her a moment so he could harass her for the rest of her life. As he started the movie, she turned her attention to the TV screen, never relaxing though. Paul Lahote was acting strange and she wasn’t going to be the butt of one of his jokes again.  


End file.
